The present invention refers to one half of a pair of hand-held scissors comprising a blade portion and a handle portion with a handle lug in which a handle insert is disposed.
In order to make holding a pair of scissors more comfortable, the handle lug is often provided with handle inserts of a non-metal material, preferably plastic material. From WO 93/06977, a pair of scissors is known wherein the plastic handle insert has an exterior circumferential locking groove by which the handle insert is inserted and locked in corresponding locking ribs on the inner circumference of the handle lug. The annular plastic handle insert is prone to snap out of the handle lug when a corresponding load is exerted thereon, or it may be twisted within the handle lug. In the area of the handle lug, a small gap exists between the annular plastic handle insert and the handle portion, in which gap humidity and dirt may accumulate.
It is an object of the present invention to provide one half of a pair of scissors with an improved handle insert.
According to the present invention, the handle insert is made of plastic material that is permanently injection molded to the handle lug without any gap. In this manner, a handle insert is realized which is captivated and secured against rotation in the handle lug so that the handle insert, improving the handling of a hand-held pair of scissors, will not be lost or turned. By injection molding the plastic handle insert, the handle insert passes into the handle lug without any gaps or joints. Therefore, no humidity or dirt can accumulate in this area. No tedious cleaning of this area is needed so that the attendance for a pair of scissors with corresponding scissor halves is simplified.
Preferably, the handle portion fixedly connected with the metal blade portion is made of plastic material, the plastic material of the handle insert and that of the handle portion being different from each other. While the blade portion is made of metal, the handle portion cast or injection molded to the blade portion is made from a hard plastic material, such as glass fiber reinforced polypropylene, and the handle insert is made of a soft plastic material agreeable to the touch and good to grip. Using two different plastic materials for the handle portion and the handle insert, different colors may be used for the handle portion and the handle insert, allowing an aesthetically pleasant design of the scissor half or the hand-held pair of scissors, respectively.
The cross-section of the handle lug may be enclosed entirely at at least one location. Preferably, the handle insert encloses the handle portion entirely and seamlessly at least at one location of the handle portion. Thus, a very firm seat of the handle insert on the handle portion is obtained.
In a preferred embodiment, the handle insert extends over the entire circumference of the handle lug. As an alternative, the handle insert may also be provided along a part of the handle lug circumference.
Preferably, for the greater part, the handle insert is provided along the inner circumference of the handle lug, since the contact between the fingers of a user and the handle lug occurs there.
According to a preferred embodiment, the handle portion has a smaller cross section at the locations enclosed by the handle insert than at the locations where the handle portion is not entirely enclosed. The handle portion, preferably, forms a closed handle lug, but the cross section of the handle portion may be smaller where the handle insert encloses the handle portion partly or entirely. Thus, a constant cross section is realized over the entire circumference of the handle lug. Further, the handle lug may be open, for example, when the scissor halves are opened by a spring.
Preferably, an integral outward projecting finger support is associated with the handle insert. This finger support may, in particular, extend outward from a portion of the handle insert that encloses the handle portion entirely.
Preferably, the plastic material of the handle insert is a soft plastic material, such as a thermoplastic elastomer that is agreeable to the touch.